THIRST
THIRST is a campus ministry that serves college students in the DC Metropolitan area. We are based out of Grace Covenant Church, and apart of an international family of churches and ministries called Every Nation.
Many students come to college with hopes to “start their life”. Some of life’s most important decisions are made in college. [Scary huh?] Things like what kind of career do I want, where will I live, who will I marry, and what will I give my life to. Now, we don’t want to tell these young adults what to do, but we do want to help them become the type of people who make wise decisions in all facets of life. It's like that whole give a person a fish or teach them how to fish thing. We give them tools, but at the end of the day, they have to choose. We want to transform our colleges & universities, not by telling, but by showing them. We’re tired of seeing freshman not making it to sophomore year; of students desperately trying to cover up their insecurity; of students living life depressed; of seeing students hungry and thirsty for more than what they’re getting out of life. Jesus said that if we drink from the water that He gives, we will never thirst again. The last thing we want is to see this young generation dehydrated. Anyone Thirsty?
OUR VALUES. WHAT WE THIRST FOR:
T-The Gospel Expressed
We value the expression of God’s love in a practical and relevant way.
God’s love can be expressed through many facets. Speaking, singing, dancing, writing, kindness, etc. The key is doing it in a way students can connect the expression back to God.
H-Healthy Families
We value healthy families
No student should feel alone in college, but instead at home. Spiritual family doesn’t replace natural family, it adds to it.
I-Intentional Building
We value laying strong foundations for students to build their lives on
We want to help students build great lives. For us, there’s no better foundation for greatness than a Biblical foundation.
R-Restoration
We value restoring relationships between God and students, and within the student community
It’s like referring a friend to another on Facebook. We refer students to Jesus, then they refer Him to their friends. And somewhere in between we share funny videos.
S-Service
We value service to our campus and GLOCAL Communities
People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. Serving students, along with our local/global communities, is the best way for us to show we really care.
T-Training
We value personal growth & stability for every student
Academia has no problem challenging students' intellect. So why wouldn’t a campus ministry challenge students to grow in their relationship with Christ? Well, we do.
Our Staff:
Although raised in South Florida, Rich now calls Washington, DC his home. Rich first came to DC in 2001 with a friend after his freshman year at Bridgewater College. It was during the course of that summer that he realized although he believed in God, he had not yet given Him his life. He made a decision to follow Christ and, three years later, graduated with a dual degree in Information Systems Management and Business Administration. Rather then entering the business arena or following his childhood dream of joining the FBI, he chose to move to Washington, DC to follow the call of God on his life and became a campus minister.
Rich and Jamella met through the campus ministry while they were both students. She attended Howard University. The two developed a strong friendship for several years before discovering that God was calling them together as husband and wife. Together, they are Grace Covenant Church’s full time campus ministers. During the academic year, they work together to build relationships with students all over the DC area. As campus ministers, Rich and Jamella spend their summer months developing ministry partners and raising support to meet their financial needs throughout the school year.